Catholic 7 negotiating to keep Beg East name

Villanova may not have to take down its Big East banners in the Pavilion or any of its other athletic venues.

Temple, on the other hand, will have to undergo some signage renovation for the second time in as many years.

The presidents and athletic directors from the football schools in the Big East Conference are scheduled to meet in Atlanta this morning and vote on a proposal to sell the conference name to the seven Catholic schools, including Villanova, that announced its intention to leave the conference en mass a few months ago.

Temple will be represented at the meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., but not Villanova or Georgetown. The Wildcats and Hoyas do not FBS football. SMU and Houston are not expected to be in attendance, either, because both schools do not become official members of the Big East until July 1.

In addition to retaining the Big East name, the Catholic Seven, Villanova, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. Johnís and Seton Hall, will most likely retain the right to hold its menís basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, according to several sources.

The new Big East could begin operation as early as July 1, but it will be costly.

To acquire the Big East name, retain the right to play its conference tournament at Madison Square Garden and leave early, the Catholic Seven will have to leave behind a great deal of money already in the conference coffers.

According to sources and internet reports, the Big East football schools will keep all the exit fees from the mass exodus that has taken place in the conference over the last two years. The football schools will also retain leftover NCAA units from the departure of West Virginia and the impending departure of Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Sources have said that the presidents and athletic directors want to have the deal finalized before the Big East Tournament, which begins March 12..

ďItís going to happen very quickly,Ē one Big East source said.

Once the separation is agreed upon, expect Fox Sports to announce a television deal with the new Big East Conference for basketball, according to sources and internet reports. Fox is scheduled to start a sports cable network similar to NBC Sports Network in the fall. That media-rights deal with Fox could be worth at least $3 million for each school, according to a source.

Also expect the new Big East to announce the addition of at least two schools. Xavier and Butler are the two schools talked about the most, although neither has informed the Atlantic 10 of their decision to leave the conference. Xavier and Butler would have to pay $2 million to get out of the A-10. The new Big East could add three more teams in the future. Creighton, Dayton and Saint Louis are the three schools that most likely will be asked to join the conference.

As for Temple, it will be part of the new, as yet, unnamed, conference, along with, Cincinnati, Connecticut and South Florida. Louisville is headed for the ACC in 2014 and Rutgers is slated to join the Big 10 that year. Central Florida, Houston, SMU will join the league in July. Tulane and East Carolina come aboard in 2014 and Navy joins for football in 2015.